Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

Here it comes, the David-and-Goliath metaphor. Cliché is an understatement, but who cares – it is a most fitting allegory for the epic proxy battle between a diminutive activist investor you've never heard of and a "Big Oil" Behemoth that you know all too well... <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/exxon-mobil-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:811:1" rel="noopener">Exxon Mobil (XOM US)</a>.Guess who won?Well, that depends on perspective. The activist hedge fund (Engine No. 1) gained three Board seats so one could certainly say that Engine won. As did the shareholders that backed Engine in its proxy (BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street, CalPERS, CalSTRS). But the biggest winner of all?Planet Earth.Engine's improbable win – in conjunction with similar (albeit less spectacular) shareholder actions at other supermajors – appears to signify a seismic shift in how Big Oil's shareholders view climate change, and could portend real change (e.g., accelerated decarbonisation and better reporting).

Here it comes, the David-and-Goliath metaphor. Cliché is an understatement, but who cares – it is a most fitting allegory for the epic proxy battle between a diminutive activist investor you've never heard of and a "Big Oil" Behemoth that you know all too well... Exxon Mobil (XOM US).Guess who won?Well, that depends on perspective. The activist hedge fund (Engine No. 1) gained three Board seats so one could certainly say that Engine won. As did the shareholders that backed Engine in its proxy (BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street, CalPERS, CalSTRS). But the biggest winner of all?Planet Earth.Engine's improbable win – in conjunction with similar (albeit less spectacular) shareholder actions at other supermajors – appears to signify a seismic shift in how Big Oil's shareholders view climate change, and could portend real change (e.g., accelerated decarbonisation and better reporting).

Engine Versus Exxon: Activist Hedge Fund's Proxy Fight Win Reverberates Through "Big Oil" Boardrooms

This is a follow-up to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/esg-and-bitcoin-the-truth-lies-somewhere-between-benign-and-boiling-off-oceans" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:52134" rel="noopener">ESG and Bitcoin: The Truth Lies Somewhere Between Benign and Boiling Off Oceans</a>, in which I discussed the ongoing cryptocurrency/ESG debate, and explained the reasoning behind my slightly positive long-term opinion of the issue (near-term negative, however).Essentially, it boiled down to the balance of Environmental, Social, and Governance issues. Proof-of-Work cryptocurrencies (especially Bitcoin) are an Environmental nightmare. However, there is reason for optimism (e.g., Ethereum 2.0), and some long-term Social issues are major positives.Nevertheless, the raging firestorm over cryptocurrency's Environmental footprint will be foremost on the minds of many ESG-minded investors. They will want avoid crypto at all costs. That is easy regarding direct exposure – just don't buy Bitcoin, Coinbase, or any other crypto pure-plays.Indirect cryptocurrency exposure is a different story altogether. As cryptocurrencies become more mainstream, the potential for indirect exposure increases – in probability, degree, and number of possible vectors. Some are hard to miss (e.g., Tesla), but others are much harder to identify.Ergo, this Insight. It covers the first of several emerging areas of potential indirect crypto exposure, specifically the growing cadre of listed companies putting crypto on the books; holding Bitcoins in treasuries for a variety of reasons, but primarily as a supposed super-hedge against inflation.It is written for the never-Bitcoin environmentalist investor, but with a little imagination any pro-Bitcoin investor can just flip its messages upside down. After all, whether indirect cryptocurrency exposure is an ESG risk or an ESG opportunity is entirely up to you to decide, for yourself.

This is a follow-up to ESG and Bitcoin: The Truth Lies Somewhere Between Benign and Boiling Off Oceans, in which I discussed the ongoing cryptocurrency/ESG debate, and explained the reasoning behind my slightly positive long-term opinion of the issue (near-term negative, however).Essentially, it boiled down to the balance of Environmental, Social, and Governance issues. Proof-of-Work cryptocurrencies (especially Bitcoin) are an Environmental nightmare. However, there is reason for optimism (e.g., Ethereum 2.0), and some long-term Social issues are major positives.Nevertheless, the raging firestorm over cryptocurrency's Environmental footprint will be foremost on the minds of many ESG-minded investors. They will want avoid crypto at all costs. That is easy regarding direct exposure – just don't buy Bitcoin, Coinbase, or any other crypto pure-plays.Indirect cryptocurrency exposure is a different story altogether. As cryptocurrencies become more mainstream, the potential for indirect exposure increases – in probability, degree, and number of possible vectors. Some are hard to miss (e.g., Tesla), but others are much harder to identify.Ergo, this Insight. It covers the first of several emerging areas of potential indirect crypto exposure, specifically the growing cadre of listed companies putting crypto on the books; holding Bitcoins in treasuries for a variety of reasons, but primarily as a supposed super-hedge against inflation.It is written for the never-Bitcoin environmentalist investor, but with a little imagination any pro-Bitcoin investor can just flip its messages upside down. After all, whether indirect cryptocurrency exposure is an ESG risk or an ESG opportunity is entirely up to you to decide, for yourself.

Bitcoin on Balance Sheets: Indirect Crypto Exposure Considerations for Crypto-Leery ESG Investors

This Insight is about a trainwreck, the head-on collision of two megatrends in investing: ESG, and cryptocurrencies. "Trainwreck," because the raging cryptocurrency/ESG debate has spiraled out of control and made absolute lunatics out of everyone, environmentalists and crypto-zealots alike.Cryptocurrency's environmental impact is not a recent epiphany. Back in 2009, Hal Finney (creator of Bitcoin's proof-of-work system, and even rumored to be the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto) tweeted, "Thinking about how to reduce CO2 emissions from widespread Bitcoin implementation."Prescient, but it didn't elicit a reaction because in 2009 few investors had even heard of Bitcoin and ESG. In 2021, however, Elon Musk's words are able to spark a firestorm because Bitcoin and ESG are now deeply ingrained in the collective investor psyche, and the zeitgeist.And Elon Musk's words sure did spark a firestorm.With this report, I hope to provide what is entirely absent in that firestorm – i.e., a comprehensive, rational, and balanced view of the multifaceted cryptocurrency/ESG relationships. Environmental, Social, and Governance. Including some issues that no one is talking about, but should be.

This Insight is about a trainwreck, the head-on collision of two megatrends in investing: ESG, and cryptocurrencies. "Trainwreck," because the raging cryptocurrency/ESG debate has spiraled out of control and made absolute lunatics out of everyone, environmentalists and crypto-zealots alike.Cryptocurrency's environmental impact is not a recent epiphany. Back in 2009, Hal Finney (creator of Bitcoin's proof-of-work system, and even rumored to be the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto) tweeted, "Thinking about how to reduce CO2 emissions from widespread Bitcoin implementation."Prescient, but it didn't elicit a reaction because in 2009 few investors had even heard of Bitcoin and ESG. In 2021, however, Elon Musk's words are able to spark a firestorm because Bitcoin and ESG are now deeply ingrained in the collective investor psyche, and the zeitgeist.And Elon Musk's words sure did spark a firestorm.With this report, I hope to provide what is entirely absent in that firestorm – i.e., a comprehensive, rational, and balanced view of the multifaceted cryptocurrency/ESG relationships. Environmental, Social, and Governance. Including some issues that no one is talking about, but should be.

ESG and Bitcoin: The Truth Lies Somewhere Between Benign and Boiling Off Oceans

We aggregate key quotes from earnings, The Transcript

The Transcript

We aggregate key quotes from earnings

Aggregate Key Quotes from Earnings

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

The economy is booming and everyone should enjoy it. The American economy is benefitting from tremendous amounts of pent-up demand and in some of the hardest-hit industries' activity is beginning to tick back up above 2019 levels. Along with that boom, there are clear signs of inflation and concerns about overheating. Even Janet Yellen seemed concerned for a few hours last week.

The economy is booming and everyone should enjoy it. The American economy is benefitting from tremendous amounts of pent-up demand and in some of the hardest-hit industries' activity is beginning to tick back up above 2019 levels. Along with that boom, there are clear signs of inflation and concerns about overheating. Even Janet Yellen seemed concerned for a few hours last week.

We see those big numbers in the press, almost daily it seems. About ESG assets under management (AUM) reaching US$40 trillion, expected to hit US$53 trillion by 2025. Or about quarterly ESG fund flows nearing US$100 billion, and the seismic shift in ESG AUM to passively-managed funds.Recent growth in SRI (sustainable and responsible investing) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) assets and investment products would not be possible without the growing ecosystem of index providers, and the SRI/ESG indices and benchmarks that they create.The ongoing boom in SRI/ESG indexing, which shows no signs of slowing, creates new opportunies for investors – and I do not mean investing in indexed mutual funds or ETFs. Too obvious, and too retail. I am referring to emergent opportunities associated with SRI/ESG index arbitrage.Index rebalancing/reconstitution events often create windows of abnormal returns for constituents being re-weighted, added, or dropped. That much is obvious, and the effects of broad market index changes are well-known. For SRI/ESG indices, this is uncharted territory with huge potential.This Smartkarma Original looks at the evolving SRI/ESG indexing landscape, and more importantly the emergent investing (e.g., stocks of listed indexers) and trading (e.g., arbitraging index changes) strategies arising from this global boom in SRI/ESG indices... from an Original perspective.<h2>WHAT'S ORIGINAL?</h2>Typically, discussions about SRI/ESG indices focus on their performance and in the context of that age-old "ESG-Alpha" debate – i.e., whether incorporating ESG factors into the investment process is worth the effort. To be clear, that is an important debate to have (and win). However, this report takes a different angle on SRI/ESG indices by focusing on investing and trading and strategies that capitalise on the boom in SRI/ESG indices. Theory (and a little speculation) backed by analysis.

We see those big numbers in the press, almost daily it seems. About ESG assets under management (AUM) reaching US$40 trillion, expected to hit US$53 trillion by 2025. Or about quarterly ESG fund flows nearing US$100 billion, and the seismic shift in ESG AUM to passively-managed funds.Recent growth in SRI (sustainable and responsible investing) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) assets and investment products would not be possible without the growing ecosystem of index providers, and the SRI/ESG indices and benchmarks that they create.The ongoing boom in SRI/ESG indexing, which shows no signs of slowing, creates new opportunies for investors – and I do not mean investing in indexed mutual funds or ETFs. Too obvious, and too retail. I am referring to emergent opportunities associated with SRI/ESG index arbitrage.Index rebalancing/reconstitution events often create windows of abnormal returns for constituents being re-weighted, added, or dropped. That much is obvious, and the effects of broad market index changes are well-known. For SRI/ESG indices, this is uncharted territory with huge potential.This Smartkarma Original looks at the evolving SRI/ESG indexing landscape, and more importantly the emergent investing (e.g., stocks of listed indexers) and trading (e.g., arbitraging index changes) strategies arising from this global boom in SRI/ESG indices... from an Original perspective.WHAT'S ORIGINAL?Typically, discussions about SRI/ESG indices focus on their performance and in the context of that age-old "ESG-Alpha" debate – i.e., whether incorporating ESG factors into the investment process is worth the effort. To be clear, that is an important debate to have (and win). However, this report takes a different angle on SRI/ESG indices by focusing on investing and trading and strategies that capitalise on the boom in SRI/ESG indices. Theory (and a little speculation) backed by analysis.

Sustainability and ESG Indices: A Booming Ecosystem and New Investing and Trading Opportunities

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BlackRock, Inc. provides investment management services. The Company offers investment, advisory, and risk management services. BlackRock serves individuals, families, educational, governments, insurance companies, and non profit organizations worldwide.

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BlackRock (BLK US)

Engine Versus Exxon: Activist Hedge Fund's Proxy Fight Win Reverberates Through "Big Oil" Boardrooms

May 26, 2021. Black Wednesday. A day that changed Big Oil forever. From Exxon's proxy fight loss to an activist fund you've never heard of, to...

Kyle Rudden

Bitcoin on Balance Sheets: Indirect Crypto Exposure Considerations for Crypto-Leery ESG Investors

Companies are increasingly embracing cryptocurrencies as a corporate treasury management strategy. This looks at some representative companies with...

Kyle Rudden

ESG and Bitcoin: The Truth Lies Somewhere Between Benign and Boiling Off Oceans

Elon sparked a firestorm over Bitcoin's climate impacts. Problem is, it's all "greenwashing" by crypto-zealots or "brownwashing" by...

Kyle Rudden

The Transcript 05.10.21: Pent-up Demand

The economy is booming and everyone should enjoy it. The American economy is benefitting from tremendous amounts of pent-up demand and in some of...

The Transcript

Sustainability and ESG Indices: A Booming Ecosystem and New Investing and Trading Opportunities

Index rebalancing and reconstitution often creates a window of abnormal returns (and opportunity). For broad market indices, these effects are well...

Kyle Rudden

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